The iNEWS ControlAir ™ System Overview
Contents
1. CAWS Assignment Method Rolling 4 6 4 6 on Single Channel Onl i Rolling 4 6 4 6 Override Method Strong Y MV Enable Cycle Channel key Cancel Apply Figure 21 Options Dialog Box Channel Policy Tab 55 Chapter 5 ControlAir Configuration amp Customization Rescan Device 56 on A tA 2 From the CAWS Assignment method list box select one of the following a Single Channel OR b Rolling A B A B From the Override Method list box select one of the following a Strong ControlAir will automatically reassign channels to maintain the Rolling A B A B CAWS Assignment Method OR b Weak ControlAir will not re assign the channels when a new video event is inserted into the rundown Check the Enable Cycle Channel key check box if required Click Apply Click OK Select File then do one of the following a Select Save to save the changes to this file OR b Select Save As to save the file with changes using another file name The Rescan Device tab is only used to enter an Avid AirPlay device name It does not apply to any other devices To enter an Avid AirPlay device name do the following l Select Broadcast gt Options An Options dialog box appears as shown in Figure 18 on page 5 51 Select the Rescan Device tab as shown in Figure 22 Changing Default User Preference Options Options Ea Colors Fonts Screen Channel2. T troubleshooting 48 support Vi U unknown device status 41 unloading playlists 13 27 unloading shows 13 user preferences 50 V Video ID 20 video playback devices 20 22 W workspace panels 16 Index
3. AER d mm uu E Mies Mi Pew med TT Drs Lig un ll TI ai aa rr TET Ppp es Figure 16 ControlAir Event Display Expanded Show The following may appear e Page displays the page number and story number assigned to the story on the INEWS rundown Slug Description displays the story title from the NEWS rundown 42 Using the ControlAir Workstation e Status displays the status of an event Event status default colors and descriptions are shown in Figure 2 on page 4 45 e Channel displays the channel that this event will play on as reported by the device manager e Duration displays the duration in hh mm ss format of the video event as reported back from the device e Media ID displays the different types of event IDs such as tape names for Betacarts or the media clip names for video servers Device displays the name of the device such as CG SS or Cart used for an event nventory indicates the status of video events where more than one video channel is configured on a video server s under the control of one Device Manager A Full Block indicates Video is not available on that channel and a Thin Block indicates Video is available on that channel A half filled Block indicates an incomplete event When a Character Generator CG is used there may be headers such as Style Format and Effect that pertain to colors fonts or special effects used by the CG operator Optional Alternative Co
4. cont ELTON ENGLAND Figure 10 Rundown Queue Composite Queue It is possible to configure iNEWS to also create a Composite List queue This is a single queue that contains a list of all machine control events in the rundown that are required during the show This list represents what will be seen on the ControlAir Workstation The Composite List Queue is usually found in the same folder as the rundown such as Composite List Queue SHOW 6PM COMPOSTTE 31 Chapter 3 The Monitor Server Utility Program 2A SLES 4 A re PEN Wa COLD WOODWARD 5COLDAW NEA PAM SMART ea FILE IDEO Be SSWART El Ald EWEAT SHOP 5002 BOB WARD B A4 tSWEAT SHOP 5003 BOSTON D A05 P SWEAT SHOP SSWEAT Ni ROBBERYCRASH SROBBERY MAU ROBBERY CRASH 6004 ROXBURY Nin FAU PAIR HEARING SAUPAIR NAT AUPAIR UK REAX 5ALUREAX PAGE SLUG CG 6 TEXT STILL VIDE TIME moe SMARTTRIALSOT SSMART Figure 11 Composite List Queue Correcting Errors Message alerts are sent to the NEWS Workstation when monitor server is on and finds errors in scripted events After a show is loaded if the monitor server finds an error it also sends a message to the ControlAir Workstation No indication is sent to ControlAir if the show is not loaded There are a number of reasons for the monitor server to see errors in events For instance the monitor server may not recognize the style used or there may be errors in the device name Th
5. 5 995 079 5 995 115 5 999 190 5 999 406 6 009 507 6 011 562 6 014 150 6 016 152 6 016 380 6 018 337 6 023 531 6 023 703 6 031 529 6 035 367 6 038 573 6 052 508 6 058 236 6 061 758 6 072 796 6 084 569 6 091 422 6 091 778 6 105 083 6 118 444 6 128 001 6 128 681 6 130 676 6 134 379 6 134 607 6 137 919 6 141 007 6 141 691 6 154 221 6 157 929 6 160 548 6 161 115 6 167 404 6 174 206 6 192 388 6 198 477 6 208 357 6 211 869 6 212 197 6 215 485 6 223 211 6 226 005 6 226 038 6 229 576 6 239 815 6 249 280 6 269 195 6 271 829 6 301 105 6 310 621 6 314 403 6 317 142 6 317 153 6 317 515 D352 278 D372 478 D373 778 D392 267 D392 268 D392 269 D395 291 D396 853 D398 912 Additional U S and foreign patents pending No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical including photocopying and recording for any purpose without the express written permission of Avid Technology Inc Copyright 2002 Avid Technology Inc and its licensors All rights reserved Printed in USA The following disclaimer is required by Sam Leffler and Silicon Graphics Inc for the use of their TIFF library Copyright 1988 1997 Sam Leffler Copyright 1991 1997 Silicon Graphics Inc Permission to use copy modify distribute and sell this software i e the TIFF library and its documentation for any purpose is hereby granted without fee provided that i
6. DB r N Any MCS Legacy Y Playback device N 5 casvr exe Retains all loaded playlists Messages Progress errors warnings gt d ControlAir playlist amp event status Device amp Event Status gt Workstations status of attached DM and ControlAir workstations Playlist Event Updates Distributes Commands changes amp messages s m Status Messages Playlists ControlAir FIBI hoz TIN Video S Figure 3 Playback Commands Channel Play Stop etc updated status event CUA ASC 300 s Monitor LOAD Communication Paths ControlAir Work Flow Monitor Mode Unload After the show airs someone typically the producer or equipment Con trolAir operator will instruct the monitor server to unload the playlist from the ControlAir system The unload mode allows the user to discon nect from the ControlAir Server without turning off the monitor server See Using the Monitor Server on page 26 and Figure 9 on page 27 for more information about various modes of the monitor server 13 Chapter 1 The iNEWS ControlAir System Overview 14 Chapter 2 Machine Control Events This chapter contains the following major sections NEWS Wor
7. Workstation s The monitor server utility program running on the iNEWS Server ControlAir software can be installed on either the Mirror Net or the House Net of the NEWS hosts If ControlAir components need access to other station networking services than just iNEWS Servers then they should be placed on the House network In either case static IP addresses and local hosts files should be used for all ControlAir components Chapter 1 The iNEWS ControlAir System Overview ControlAir Components ControlAir Server There are several components that make up the ControlAir system including the ControlAir Server program casvr exe AMCP application AMCP app exe ControlAir Manager program camgr exe device managers and ControlAir Workstation which are explained in this section The ControlAir Server is a computer that runs the casvr exe AMCP app exe and camgr exe programs as well as any device managers DMs that are controlled by that server It is also possible to run ControlAir Workstation software on this computer if desired but it is not required For more information on hardware requirements for the ControlAir Server see the NEWS ControlAir Installation and Operations Manual casvr exe The executable program called casvr exe is the central program that runs on the ControlAir Server The ControlAir Server program e Routes status and messages between AMCP app exe device managers and ControlAir Work
8. all loaded playlists ControlAir Workstations playlist amp event status status of attached DM and ControlAir workstations Distributes Commands updated status event changes amp messages A Chyron DM Chyron A y Leitch DM de RE Louth DM 10base T TR OO ASC 300 En E RS 422 Figure 2 Monitor Mode ON Communication Paths 10 ControlAir Work Flow Monitor Mode LOAD As air time nears and the newsroom staff completes the rundown someone usually the producer or equipment ControlAir operator will instruct the monitor server to load the playlist into the ControlAir system via the AMCP application program See the NEWS ControlAir Installation and Operations Manual As the rundown is downloaded to the ControlAir Server the casvr exe program loads it to the ControlAir Workstation and loads individual event lists or playlists to the appropriate device manager DM That DM establishes a connection to the device if it has not already done so and begins its assigned task such as inserting CG text checking for availability of video clips and so forth Each DM sends to the ControlAir Server program casvr exe the status of devices and individual playlists such as whether video is available and so forth The ControlAir Server then for
9. clicking on the show name will display the event list An event may now be played by placing the cursor on the event and clicking the Play button or pressing the Enter key There is also a Play option located in the Broadcast menu After the show is reserved no other ControlAir Workstation may take control of that show It is possible to override control of a playlist from another ControlAir Workstation with a password See Table 3 and Controlling Events Through Devices in a Playlist on page 46 for more information Understanding the Event List amp Event List Status 44 Table 2 shows the types of event status their default color representations and a description of the type status Table 2 Type of Event Status Cued Pause Cued Playing Standby Unavailable Unknown Using the ControlAir Workstation Event Status Default Colors amp Descriptions Default Color Representation Status Description Yellow Yellow Yellow Green Yellow Magenta Red The event is prepared to play The video is paused press pause or play to resume An intermediate status before a video is cued An event is playing The next event to be cued ona channel An event cannot be located or does not exist Corrective action is required An event has just arrived and the Device Manager has not yet processed the event request From an Unknown status an event can go to either Available or Unavailable T
10. device and ControlAir Server Off Line Purple Unknown Red Indicates ControlAir can communicate with the DM for this device but the device is not available to be controlled by ControlAir can indicate problems with the DM s connection to the device Indicates a DM for this device is not running or is no longer connected to the ControlAir Server It can also indicate a mismatched device name ensure that the device names in the SYSTEM MAP file and device manager s DMP file are correct 41 Chapter 4 ControlAir Workstation The Local Time display shows the workstation s local time Local Time Expand and Collapse buttons Clicking on the plus sign will expand the show to reveal the individual broadcast events The plus sign will become a minus sign when the event is expanded Column headers appear above the name of the show as shown in Figure 16 EN alisi zl Tempur Uam Pipir Core mi LI an nm ica 10 52 25 E Pape TIT 1 E i ims Channel Eurabia Hanis O Dedie irevaniory Stee zur effect ASHO PELADO Mur E n RUNS TEST ERN T HEADLINES AMI A 10 1 rap ITI 3 Hi MONKEY I 1 i fa ITI M H BANK STORY en a F rit Sor ITI 5 H2 SHOOTING Ai 05 i22 ErP ITI P BARH FIRE UM hey lock en 103 rane ITI I ds back quc X NES i LONG ETORY 4 he former ITI Da EPELLCHECH an AL QAIDA T LOST MWONE Y _ Tia HASTY FIRE Stay nny Tu mT pe FrobsF ITI 113 GROUND ZERO RESIDENTE
11. editing and playback Another feature is the INEWS CG Title Entry which enables newsroom personnel to simulate character generated graphics on the iNEWS Workstation The iNEWS product set is constructed on a modular open architecture enabling its components to work efficiently not only with other Avid products but also with third party hardware and software The iNEWS newsroom computer system operates on industry standard technologies including Windows based operating systems Intel based PCs Intel and Silicon Graphics based servers and TCP IP Internet networking protocols System Architecture Avid publishes open Applications Programming Interfaces APIs for ControlAir that enables integration with third party software and hardware System Architecture There are three groups of software in the INEWS ControlAir system The ControlAir Server which includes the casvr exe and AMCPapp exe executable programs Device Managers DMs ControlAir Workstation Typically ControlAir Server software and device managers are installed on the ControlAir Server while the ControlAir Workstation is installed on computers in each of the control rooms where ControlAir will be operated ControlAir architecture consists of ControlAir Server Avid Machine Control Protocol application AMCPapp exe ControlAir Server application casvr exe ControlAir Manager application camgr exe Device Managers ControlAir
12. page iv for more information on what chapters are in which sections of this manual In this example information on work flows through a ControlAir system can be found on page 8 of this manual Chapters are numbered consecutively with page numbers continued from the previous chapter Keyboard Conventions Ctrl x means to press and hold down the Control key and then press another key on the keyboard represented here by x This is also used for other key combinations such as Alt x or Shift x Type in a command procedure means to type the command on the command line and then press the Enter key Select means to choose an operation on a menu Click means to click the left mouse button usually in response to a dialog box Right click means to click the right mouse button If You Need Help vi If you are having trouble using ControlAir you should 1 Repeat the procedure carefully following the instructions provided for the task in this guide 2 Refer to the documentation included with your hardware to review the maintenance procedures or the hardware related issues 3 Check the Support section of Avid s Web site at http www avid com support for online technical publications and additional telephone support phone numbers 4 Maintenance Agreement contract customers can contact Avid Broad cast Customer Support personnel at any of these 24 hour global tele phone numbers e 1800 639 7364 in the America
13. programs in computer Figure1 ControlAir Component Associations Chapter 1 The iNEWS ControlAir System Overview ControlAir Work Flow See Chapter 2 for more information Monitor Mode ON See Chapter 3 for more information After the news staff has entered machine control events in scripts the producer can download rundowns to ControlAir using the monitor server in iNEWS For more information on creating monitor servers see the iNEWS ControlAir Installation and Operations Manual From the ControlAir Workstation production personnel such as the ControlAir operator can access playlists for downloaded rundowns and control associated production devices to cue play and stop the production events requested When your newsroom staff builds a show they insert special keywords into scripts known as machine control events These items include a word to identify the specific machine or a machine type such as CG or SS and some information to indicate what they want that machine to display The following example shows a machine control event that instructs the character generator to display two lines of text using a saved template named LOC2 CG LOC2 Bob Willhouser Washington DC When the monitor server is turned on usually by the producer from the iNEWS Workstation s Tools menu it will read all machine control events in the rundown and build playlists also known as event lists for each device After the mo
14. the above copyright notices and this permission notice appear in all copies of the software and related documentation and ii the names of Sam Leffler and Silicon Graphics may not be used in any advertising or publicity relating to the software without the specific prior written permission of Sam Leffler and Silicon Graphics THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED AS IS AND WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND EXPRESS IMPLIED OR OTHERWISE INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE IN NO EVENT SHALL SAM LEFFLER OR SILICON GRAPHICS BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL INCIDENTAL INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF ANY KIND OR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER RESULTING FROM LOSS OF USE DATA OR PROFITS WHETHER OR NOT ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF DAMAGE AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE The following disclaimer is required by the Independent JPEG Group Portions of this software are based on work of the Independent JPEG Group The following disclaimer is required by Ray Sauers Associates Inc Install It is licensed from Ray Sauers Associates Inc End User is prohibited from taking any action to derive a source code equivalent of Install lIt including by reverse assembly or reverse compilation Ray Sauers Associates Inc shall in no event be liable for any damages resulting from reseller s failure to perform reseller s obligation
15. the order of the stories are also reflected on the ControlAir Workstation display Releasing a Playlist It is not possible to release a playlist 1f any of the events are playing To release a playlist do the following 1 Release the playlist by clicking on the show name and press the letter U on the keyboard Exiting the program by clicking on the X button in the upper right corner of the window will also release the playlist 47 Chapter 4 ControlAir Workstation Troubleshooting Status When ControlAir Workstation is started and initialized and after a show is loaded the devices connected to the server indicate their status The device status must be on line before a device may be used Playlist is Not Received When a playlist is not received by ControlAir Workstation return to the INEWS rundown unload the monitor server and load it again Red Event Display Color If all the events in the ControlAir Workstation display suddenly change to red and show something other than a normal status it is likely the ControlAir has lost its connection to the device manager s If ControlAir Manager is running it should restart the device manager s automatically If not contact your INEWS system administrator for assistance Device Polling Some broadcast devices can notify their device manager when they are back online Some ControlAir DMs are designed to poll their devices at specified intervals All DMs are designed to t
16. video event status to the Event Status field of the iNEWS rundown in the Queue panel When the Video ID is entered in the Video ID field in the Story Form panel those video events will appear first on ControlAir and in the composite playlist They appear ahead of CG or still store s in the script regardless of whether a CG needs to be taken before rolling the tape When an accurate sequential listing of all events on ControlAir and in the composite list is required the events must be entered in the body of the script as production cues If they are not put into form fields ControlAir is unable to report the status back to the Event Status field on the NEWS rundown in the Queue panel Also the ability to use the color rules in the rundown to alert to an empty Video ID field is lost Inserting Machine Control Events into Scripts For instance if a story contains a presenter on set with a still store graphic over the shoulder then the presenter s name gets superimposed onair Next a tape is rolled and a locator CG super is inserted The script would need production cues in the following order so all events appear in the order that they are required during the show SS ots 1001 CG 2line Amy Anchor Newswatch Eleven on Your Side CART 23456 CG loc Downtown Boston If the cart number was placed in a Video ID field instead of in the body of the script the ControlAir Workstation and composite list would show the follo
17. A aoc e DARE I AURI ATUS aie O A Male A UN 53 Channel Policy si occ REI dana ei ee oes 54 Rescan Device ni sc ee a AR DRE 56 Event Display Columns 0 0 0 0 cece eee 57 Using This Manual Congratulations on your purchase of your Avid ControlAir system You can use your system to create broadcast quality output incorporating every possible production element from full speed high resolution footage to multimedia artwork and animation to computer generated effects and titling This publication provides information on how to use the ControlAir system The documentation describes the features and hardware of all models Therefore your system might not contain certain features and hardware that are covered in the documentation Who Should Use This Manual This manual is written for journalists producers directors writers and various technical personnel responsible for using the ControlAir system in a broadcast newsroom This manual is intended for all ControlAir users from beginning to advanced It is strongly recommended that system users have prior experience in or classroom knowledge of the Windows 2000 or NT operating system Using This Manual About This Manual This manual will lead you through even the most complex procedures with task oriented instructions illustrated for a more realistic presentation of the actual icons and images you will encounter The information provides basic user procedures while addin
18. ControlAir The monitor server is turned on when a user at an INEWS Workstation turns it on When on monitor server checks its assigned rundown for machine control events and builds playlists It continues to monitor the rundown for changes and performs as much error checking as it can by comparing machine control events with styles located in the SYSTEM RESOURCE queue without communicating with any broadcast equipment including ControlAir See Monitor Mode ON on page 8 and Monitor Mode ON Communication Paths on page 10 for more information The monitor server loads data to the ControlAir system when a user instructs it to do so from an iNEWS Workstation The communication paths between monitor server and ControlAir at this point are explained in more detail in Monitor Mode LOAD on page 11 See also Monitor LOAD Communication Paths on page 12 It is recommended that producers or production assistants turn the monitor server on as show time approaches so it can check the rundown queue throughout much of the show s development Monitor server scans through the scripts and builds Event Lists for CG CART and SS if these events are present in the scripts Monitor Server will also create a Composite list if configured to do so Instructing the monitor server to load data should be done later such as just before taking the show to air Using the Monitor Server 26 This section provides some basic user information abo
19. INEWS ControlAir User Manual Version 1 0 5 Avid make manage move media VI Copyright and Disclaimer Product specifications are subject to change without notice and do not represent a commitment on the part of Avid Technology Inc The software described in this document is furnished under a license agreement You can obtain a copy of that license by visiting Avid s Web site at www avid com The terms of that license are also available in the product in the same directory as the software The software may not be reverse assembled and may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of the license agreement It is against the law to copy the software on any medium except as specifically allowed in the license agreement Avid products or portions thereof are protected by one or more of the following United States patents 4 746 994 4 970 663 5 045 940 5 063 448 5 077 604 5 245 432 5 267 351 5 309 528 5 325 200 5 355 450 5 396 594 5 440 348 5 452 378 5 467 288 5 513 375 5 528 310 5 557 423 5 568 275 5 577 190 5 583 496 5 584 006 5 627 765 5 634 020 5 640 601 5 644 364 5 654 737 5 701 404 5 715 018 5 719 570 5 724 605 5 726 717 5 729 673 5 731 819 5 745 637 5 752 029 5 754 180 5 754 851 5 781 188 5 799 150 5 812 216 5 828 678 5 842 014 5 852 435 5 883 670 5 889 532 5 892 507 5 905 841 5 912 675 5 929 836 5 929 942 5 930 445 5 930 797 5 946 445 5 966 134 5 977 982 5 986 584 5 987 501
20. Policy Rescan Device Enter the Device Name API cancel ooh Figure 22 Options dialog Box rescan Device Tab 3 Enter the Avid AirPlay device name in the Enter the Device Name text box 4 Click Apply 5 Click OK 6 Select File then do one of the following a Select Save to save the changes to this file OR b Select Save As to save the file with changes using another file name Event Display Columns The Event Display columns on the ControlAir Workstation may be rearranged to suit a users preferences 57 Chapter 5 ControlAir Configuration amp Customization To rearrange a Event Display column do the following 1 Click on the Event Column heading to select the entire column 2 Drag and drop the heading to a new location 3 Select File then do one of the following a Select Save to save the changes to this file OR b Select Save As to save the file with changes using another file name The column widths may also be adjusted and saved in this manner 58 Index A AMCP application See AMCPapp exe AMCPapp exe 5 Avid AirPlay 56 B busy device status 41 C camgr exe 5 casvr exe 4 CAW files 37 49 open and save 50 channels assigning 22 policy 54 Composite List queues 31 ControlAir components of 4 work flow 8 ControlAir Manager 5 ControlAir Server 4 ControlAir Workstation 37 overview 6 sample display 42 toolbars and menus 39 user interface 36 using 43 47 correcting e
21. Time setting See Monitor Off and Unload on page 29 for more information The Devices section of the Monitor Queue dialog box displays a list of available devices The list could include Specific devices such as those connected through an MCS PC or PC PCU Servers such as the ControlAir Server and or MOS Gateway Server If you select Load specify the device or server to load from the Devices list or select the All Devices checkbox to load all devices associated with the rundown queue To select up to three devices from the list without selecting all press the Ctrl key while you click on each item If you select a server the data will be loaded to all devices associated with that server If you select the MOS Gateway Server that is interfacing with a device that has multiple channels such as an OmniBus automation system a second dialog box will appear allowing you to select the channel from a drop down list Select channel for MOS device x Device Name Channel mosgwy E Cancel Click OK to return to the previous dialog box 4 Click OK 28 Monitor LOAD Using the Monitor Server For more information on the monitor server refer to the iNEWS ControlAir Installation and Operations Manual Before ControlAir is able to view the list of machine control events and control them for playback they must be loaded from the rundown in iNEWS The procedure for using monitor server to load event
22. ab Override Control of a Playlist Reserve the already reserved playlist The Override dialogue box appears requesting a password Enter the password During a broadcast as events are played by pressing Enter on the keypad the cursor will automatically advance to the next event in the show If an event that is playing needs to be re cued it must first be paused first 46 Using the ControlAir Workstation Making On Air Changes When a producer makes changes to an NEWS rundown it is reflected on the ControlAir Workstation event display When stories are floated they disappear from the ControlAir Workstation display When a story s events are Cued ControlAir will automatically Cue the events for the next story When floated stories are reinstated they reappear on the ControlAir Workstation display Reinstated story s events will be re cued according to their position in the rundown When a story is deleted from the INEWS rundown the item disappears from the ControlAir Workstation display If a story that has an event currently playing is deleted from the INEWS rundown the event will continue to play When the event is stopped or finishes playing the item is deleted from the ControlAir Workstation display When a story is inserted in the iNEWS rundown it will appear on the ControlAir Workstation display even if it contains no events Machine instructions are passed to the ControlAir Server when the story 1s saved Changes to
23. aded and as long as the ControlAir Workstation window remains open but the black status fields of the bar are cleared The DMs listed on the bar are not necessarily used by the current rundown queue that is the rundown may or may not have a playlist for the device associated with the DM Those actually used by the loaded rundown are shown in the Playlist Devices section when the rundown is reserved from the ControlAir Workstation In either case the device name and its status appear Overview There are several status possibilities that are color coded for easy visual recognition Table 1 Status of Devices Status Color On Line Green In Use Green Busy Green Ready Yellow Explanation Indicates the DM for the named device is running connected to the ControlAir Server and communicating with the device However control of the device has not yet been reserved by a ControlAir Workstation Indicates the DM for the named device is running connected to the ControlAir Server communicating with the device and control of the device is reserved by this ControlAir Workstation Indicates the same things as In Use except that control of the device is reserved by another ControlAir Workstation Indicates a DM for a certain device is running on the ControlAir Server and ready to communicate with the device but no communication between DM and device has happened Ready does not indicate an actual connection between the
24. al Who Should Use This Manual 0 000 ccc eee eee eee iii About This Marillal 2 mca retur eni EE ERE NEA iv Symbols and Conventions rire iraa er Eae eae V If You Need Help suis EWelig ERE Dae Pe ana vi Related Information llle vii If You Have Documentation Comments 0000 eee eee vii How to Order Documentation llli viii Chapter 1 The iNEWS ControlAir System Overview OVCIVIEW 23d 4o jocos toe aloe obest oe etus m 2 Links to Other Newsroom ProductS o oooooo o 2 System Architecture l lees ue e n ren 3 ControlAir Components 00000 0 eee eee eee 4 ControlAir Server 0 llle eens 4 CdSVI GXQGo Coe ues eer be bean s Rd Od ah artes 4 AMCPapp exe 00000 22 ee eee ses 5 camgr GX6 oak a eves eee ade ee ede ee eine Soe 4 5 Device Managers sese reg a a 5 ControlAir Workstati0N ooooooooooooo ooo ooo 6 Monitor Server ov st A a e a 6 ControlAir Work Fl0W o ooooooooooooooo ee eee ene 8 Monitor Mode ON 0 ccc ee 8 Monitor Mode LOAD 0 0 0 0 cece ees 11 Chapter 2 Machine Control Events NEWS Workspace Overview 20000 eee eee eee 16 Inserting Machine Control Events into Scripts 17 Character Generator CG and Still Store SS Styles 19 Video Playback Device 0 0 0 0 cee ee 20 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 The Monitor S
25. anel are preceded by an asterisk and are colored blue Character Generator CG and Still Store SS Styles The machine control event command CG is followed by the style used for the caption Styles are specific to individual stations and are generally set up by the system administrator There is a unique style for each type of CG that is used during the broadcast For instance in the following example 2line 1line place name CG 2line TONY BLAIR Prime Minister CG lline NATHANIEL LOYD CG place NORTH WALTHAM Following the style is the actual text that ControlAir will send to the character generator to build the CG 19 Chapter 2 Machine Control Events A full frame CG can be recalled by replacing the style with a page number as in the following example CG 888 The preceding example will recall page 888 from the character generator without writing any text to the page The SS command is also followed by either a style logo right or still store number 1234 as shown in Figure 6 The system administrator sets up the styles for frequently used graphics and assigns numbers used to create new graphics daily ControlAir will use the style or number to recall the particular still in the proper manner during the broadcast Video Playback Device 20 Use the Story Form panel to enter the Video ID into INEWS This allows the Video ID to be viewed from the rundown During the broadcast ControlAir will report the
26. cal Avid Sales representative viii Chapter 1 The NEWS ControlAir System Overview This chapter contains the following major sections e Overview e System Architecture e ControlAir Work Flow Chapter 1 The iNEWS ControlAir System Overview Overview The iNEWS ControlAir system is a machine control system for on air operations which can be integrated into the INEWS newsroom computer system or into another newsroom computer system It can also operate in a standalone environment if the INEWS connection is lost A ControlAir system normally consists of a server one or more workstations and several Device Managers DMs Also ControlAir Directly controls production devices Receives information from the iNEWS Workstation as control events are entered into production cues in scripts Handles several shows simultaneously while enabling shows to be produced back to back with only a few seconds between them Windows based workstations with Graphical User Interfaces GUIs allow production personnel to control events on the ControlAir Server Links to Other Newsroom Products The iNEWS ControlAir system also provides efficient links to other Avid products for additional scripting and video capabilities such as Digital News Gathering DNG a disk based production system which stores digital video audio and graphics data in a single central library That data is then accessible by workstations for recording
27. e 5 Machine Control Event Example In the example shown in Figure 5 the Take VO production cue is just information for the director it is not a machine control event The machine control event for the character generator is in the second Production Cue text box Machine control event formats will vary based on styles set up by your system administrator Check with your system administrator for a list of styles used at your location Production cues may include the following Take VO On Camera Take SOT and Take Live When using ControlAir production cues may include machine control events to character generators CGs still stores SS video playback devices such as Betacart machines CART digital video playback By default iNEWS generally refers to all video playback devices as CART type devices including high resolution video servers such as an AirSPACE video server Some typical machine control events in a script are shown in Figure 6 Inserting Machine Control Events into Scripts Story Pres Slug VideoID EvStatus Time Script Total Backtime Start Time Te CDU f p p po 2 8 2 00 11 26 48 Mod by jason Biby Room WR _ Aired P Hello good evening and welcome to News at Ten D CG 2line NANCY GOVER Avid Newsroom Systems SS logo right CART 72851 Figure6 Machine Control Events in a Script Machine control events are easily identified in a script they appear in the Instruction p
28. e monitor server will not detect spelling mistakes in a CG text Run the spell check over the scripts to find these types of errors Events must be corrected in the script not in the Event List queue which is only written to by the monitor server and should be read only to the user 32 Correcting Errors In iNEWS when opening a script containing an error the left hand side of the script known as the Instruction panel will appear red and the production cue containing the erroneous machine control event will be highlighted in yellow Video ID Ev Status Time Script Total Backtme Start Time CMM NL 729518A D fu uo dais Mod by jason Ed by Room WR Aired Hello good evening and welcome to News at Ten A CG Aine NANCY GOVER Avid Newsroom Systems FSS logo right Figure 12 Correcting Errors in Scripts After correcting an error save the script and the monitor server will make the appropriate changes to the Event List queue 33 Chapter 3 The Monitor Server Utility Program 34 Chapter 4 ControlAir Workstation This chapter explains how to use the ControlAir Workstation This chapter is made up of the following sections e Overview Using the ControlAir Workstation Troubleshooting Chapter 4 ControlAir Workstation Overview The ControlAir system allows the user to control the machine control events in a show To start the ControlAir Workstation do the
29. e with another name e Exit exits the ControlAir Workstation 37 Chapter 4 ControlAir Workstation 38 In earlier versions of the ControlAir software the tag for these files was bcw not caw so they were known as BCW files Which tag is used depends on which version of software a site has For the purposes of this manual CAW is used The Broadcast menu contains the following selections e e Cue cues an event to get ready to play Play plays an event Pause pauses the event that is playing To restart the event use the Pause command a second time or the Play command Stop stops an event Reserve Playlist reserves a playlist ready to broadcast Release Playlist releases a playlist from the reserve status Cycle Channels changes channel assignment to the next channel according to ControlAir Workstation setup Change Channel allows manual channel selection from an offered list Rescan a Device allows rescanning an Avid AirPlay connected to a Media Server to detect new media in the bins Connect to Server allows selection of a ControlAir Server or to reconnect to a server if a connection has been lost Options allows access to configure and customize the ControlAir Interface The View menu determines what portions of the ControlAir Workstation s graphic user interface is displayed on screen It contains the following selections Toolbar contains control buttons for some broadcast c
30. elf from the INEWS rundown or by ControlAir either manually or automatically For video servers such as AirSPACE or for video playback devices the channel may be assigned through the INEWS rundown in the Video ID column It may also be done in the rundown by adding the playout channel to the Video ID Form field For example 72951 A as shown in Figure 8 instructs ControlAir to play a video with an ID of 72951 through video output channel A on a video playback device or video server If no channel is assigned by the script the video event will be assigned a channel by the DM or ControlAir depending on your local configuration which is determined by the INEWS system administrator Inserting Machine Control Events into Scripts Figure 8 Channel Assignment Through a Script 23 Chapter 2 Machine Control Events 24 Chapter 3 The Monitor Server Utility Program After the iNEWS ControlAir software is installed monitor servers must be set up on INEWS Servers to use ControlAir This chapter contains the following sections e Overview Using the Monitor Server Monitor LOAD Monitor Off and Unload Quit Time Event List Queue Composite Queue e Correcting Errors Chapter 3 The Monitor Server Utility Program Overview Monitor server is a utility program running on the INEWS newsroom computer system that checks a show s event requests for errors creates composite and event lists and sends playlists to
31. erver Utility Program OVERVIEW iss sed ee un bees ona dee ott E Rec 26 Using the Monitor Server ooocccococcoooo seh 26 Monitor LOAD iiia tig dhe eH RAN ade eed 29 Monitor Off and Unload 2 00 o 29 Quit Time cd reli 2 RI ied ew Nevis eee as NS 30 EventListQUeuS sos lt 4 4 sai So eae rie 30 Composite Queue 0000 cee eee 31 Correcting Errors 2 sisse lcs e a 9 beh 32 ControlAir Workstation OVOrVIOW z 4 3 uas Td Seed dum wedge E RR 36 The ControlAir User Interface liliis ee ee 36 Optional Alternative ControlAir Keyboard 005 43 Using the ControlAir Workstation llis eee 43 Reserving a Playlist 0 2 0 ee eee 44 Understanding the Event List amp Event List Status 44 Controlling Events Through Devices in a PlayliSt 46 Making On Air Changes 0 000 47 Releasing a Playlist oooooooocoorcrarrrrarrc 47 Tro bleshooting 2 x reve RAR a a UR AERE A 48 Status s re Se eeu Re i Ee eui 48 Playlist is Not Received 0 2 0 eee 48 Red Event Display Color 0 000 c eee eee 48 Device Pollitig 22 Hetaeeted Pida debe eid eh ed 48 ControlAir Configuration amp Customization Opening and Saving User Configured Options 50 Changing Default User Preference Options 50 COWS yh fh ced nets o Eta ones Be hie ihe 51 FOnts ices Bla edd ad ng dad eut ee pauls ghia dd 52
32. following 1 Double click on the ControlAir Workstation icon on the Windows desktop The Connect to Server dialog box appears as shown in Figure 13 Connect to Server x ControlAir Server cas Cancel Figure 13 Connect to Server Dialog Box The dialog box prompts for the name of the ControlAir Server to use The first time the ControlAir Workstation is launched this dialog box will contain the workstation s local machine name by default 2 Enter the server name in the ControlAir Server text box 3 Click OK The ControlAir Workstation is displayed and ready for use The ControlAir User Interface The ControlAir Workstation graphic user interface GUI is shown in Figure 14 36 Title Bar Overview Menu Bar Message History List Expand or Collapse Control Local Tines 20 077 AS E a LT Stug Description Status Channel Duration Meda iD Device inventory EI Show Loaded From iNEWS Figure 14 ControlAir Workstation GUI The Title bar displays the name of the ControlAir Workstation file currently open The Menu bar displays the ControlAir Workstation menus File Broadcast View and Help The File menu contains the following selections e Open allows access to other CAW files that is files with the tag caw CAW files allow operators to save and recall their own preferences Save saves changes to the current caw file e Save As saves the current caw fil
33. g a complete explanation of all the tools and techniques required to create apply and adjust various settings including useful tips shortcuts and custom options The Table of Contents that precedes this preface lists all topics included in the book They are presented with the following overall structure The Contents lists all topics included in the book They are presented with the following overall structure The Introduction helps you get oriented with beginning concepts and general workflow and provides valuable pointers to keep in the back of your mind as you proceed The main body of the manual follows the natural flow of your work with clear and comprehensive step by step procedures At the back of the book is a comprehensive Glossary providing cross industry terms and definitions Finally a detailed Index helps you quickly locate specific topics This manual provides instruction for your system in the following areas e System Architecture amp Dataflow iNEWS Machine Control Instructions The Monitor Server Utility Program The ControlAir Workstation Configuration and Customization of ControlAir Use this manual for help in using your system after you have installed ControlAir components according to requirements and specifications Before installing any equipment the site must already have a configured network Symbols and Conventions Symbols and Conventions Look here in the margin for tips A A Un
34. he event list displayed on the ControlAir Workstation includes the page number and slug for every story in the rundown When a story has events these will be listed under the story title one line for each event Character Generator CG events display the text the CG page number status and device name Video events display nothing in the Slug Description column but display their Media ID status channel duration device name and inventory 45 Chapter 4 ControlAir Workstation Controlling Events Through Devices in a Playlist In order to control an event the cursor must be on it Table 3 shows the type of control and how to issue the control command Table3 Type of Event Control amp Command Instruction Type of Event Control Command Instruction Cueing an Event Press Delete on the keypad Playing an Event Press Enter on the keypad Pausing an Event Press the number 1 one on the keypad Stopping an Event Press the number O zero on the keypad Overriding a Channel Assignment Press the numeric key on the keyboard corresponding with the channel you want For instance press 1 for channel A 2 for B and so forth Rescanning a Device AVID Press the Insert key on the keypad AirPlay ONLY It may be necessary to rescan a device when a device has failed to load properly From the Broadcast menu choose Rescan Device or press Insert on the keyboard Before rescanning a device the device must be identified in the Rescan Device t
35. ified time ensuring the integrity of the system However for the best results Avid recommends that monitor servers be manually turned off at the end of each show The Quit Time or automatic shut off time appears at the bottom of the Monitor Queue dialog box as shown in Figure 9 on page 27 Event List Queue 30 After the monitor server is on for a few seconds event lists are built The Event List queues are generally built in the same folder as the rundown such as Rundown SHOW 6PM RUNDOWN CG Event List SHOW 6PM CG SS Event List SHOW 6PM SS CART Event List SHOW 6PM CART Composite Queue Any script or rundown changes will be picked up automatically by the monitor server which will then make the appropriate changes in the event lists All changes must be made in the rundown queue not in the event build queues The following Figure 10 shows a CG event queue for a rundown listing the CGs for that show ADDRESS TEMPLATE EFFECT Ea PAM SMART 6006 bres 0001 FILE IDEO a ESWEAT SHOP 007 Zire DOCE BOB WARD BOSTON gis ESWEAT SHOP 6008 Top 0061 BOSTON Na ROBBERY CRASH 6004 1 bres 0001 ROXBURY Mai PUPARURREAX 6002 hne 0001 ELTON ENGLAND Wak UKREAX SOUND 600 Zire Doce REV KEN DAVEY VICAR OF ELT WA LEGAL ANALYSIS 6004 Fire DOC HARRY MANION FOX 25 LEGAL pe ssHREAK ONE Eo FREE THE PIKE 600 bres 0001 BUFFALO BURRFAK Two PAGE SLUG ADDRESS STYLE TEMPLATE EFFECT TEXT Ati AUPAIRUK REAY 6002 iine
36. kspace Overview Inserting Machine Control Events into Scripts Character Generator CG and Still Store SS Styles Video Playback Device Chapter 2 Machine Control Events INEWS Workspace Overview The iNEWS workspace consists of three main panels the Directory panel the Queue panel and the Story panel The Story panel displays the story text however it may be split as shown in Figure 4 to also show an Instruction panel for production cues a Story Form panel as well as the Story Text panel It depends on the view specified oh Waorketalion E Queue Panel Ei Forum ij PEDE Story Form Panel EJ PHOHER E Sri E TEANMSCRIPTS Fa UPDATE l2 L d rm Directory 3 mus wv Panel Instruction Panel Story Text Panel A a Figure 4 NEWS Workspace Inserting Machine Control Events into Scripts Inserting Machine Control Events into Scripts To insert a machine control event into a script in iNEWS do the following 1 Open the script into the Story panel 2 Click in the Story panel at the location where the production cue is to be placed 3 Press Alt Insert An Instruction panel appears to the left of the Story Text panel The Instruction panel has a Production Cue text box where the cursor is placed so that a production cue may be entered A production cue containing a command for a device is known as a machine control event A production cue marker also known as a grommet shown at left is
37. less noted otherwise the material in this document applies to the Windows 2000 operating system The ControlAir documentation uses the following special symbols and conventions 1 Numbered lists when the order of the items is important a Alphabetical lists when the order of secondary items is important Bulleted lists when the order of the items is unimportant Indented dashed lists when the order of secondary items is unimportant One arrow indicates a single step procedure Multiple arrows in a list indicate that you perform one of the actions listed Courier Bold font identifies text that you type In the margin you will find tips that help you perform tasks more easily and efficiently A note provides important related information reminders recommendations and strong suggestions A caution means that a specific action you take could cause harm to your computer or cause you to lose data A warning describes an action that could cause you physical harm Follow the guidelines in this manual or on the unit itself when handling electrical equipment Cross references are provided throughout this manual to give readers locations where additional sometimes more detailed information on a certain topic can be found In some cases the chapter name and number is provided In most cases a page number is given For instance See ControlAir Work Flow on page 8 Using This Manual See About This Manual on
38. louth2 gt Error Connecting to Channel B Elapsed Time Section Device Bar Figure 15 Partial View of the ControlAir WorkstationScreen 39 Chapter 4 ControlAir Workstation e Loa Ml eri on x Elepsed Time Time Lek 00 07 ua 40 The ControlAir Workstation toolbar is used to play cue stop rescan and pause an event The button located to right of these buttons marked X may be used to clear messages that appear in the Message History list The Elapsed Time displays the amount of time that has elapsed during the playout of a video event The Time Left displays the time remaining in a CG animation or video event currently playing The Playlist Devices as shown in Figure 15 displays a list of the devices being used by ControlAir and their status The names in the status section correspond to the name of the device managers The status conditions may be one of the following On Line Off Line Ready In Use Unknown and Busy When the ControlAir Workstation starts the Device bar will not appear automatically in the window It appears after the INEWS monitor server loads a rundown At that time the monitor server checks the show s list of devices in the SYSTEM MAP story and verifies whether device managers DMs are running on the ControlAir Server for each device Their status is then displayed on the Device bar as shown in Figure 15 The Device bar will remain displayed even after the first rundown is unlo
39. nitor server is turned on it continues to monitor the rundown examining every saved story for deleted new or updated events in the playlist The monitor server performs as much error checking as it can without communicating with any broadcast equipment ControlAir Work Flow The iNEWS ControlAir system is not yet involved Playlists can be printed and distributed to the equipment operators who can control devices such as the CG using traditional methods Figure 2 shows communication paths after the monitor server is turned on from the INEWS Workstation For more information about iNEWS utility programs known as monitor servers see the iNEWS ControlAir Installation and Operations Manual Chapter 1 The iNEWS ControlAir System Overview iNEWS Monitor d Monitor Commands Servers y ON LOAD UNLOAD OFF NEWS 7 ON Watch for added Workstations deleted or Modified Machine Control Events LOAD Send playlists and Messages updates to ControlAir 4 progress errors warnings 2 iNEWS DB Rundown amp Event List queues System Map amp Resource queues iNEWS Software V Monitor Server MCSPC Legacy Drivers Protocol converter Maintains link to each loaded monitor server TX MCSDM Any MOS Legacy V E ok MG SPC Koes e casvr exe Retains
40. nt all rights with respect to this Software and documentation are subject to the terms of the License Agreement pursuant to FAR 812 212 a and or DFARS 8227 7202 1 a as applicable Trademarks AirPlay AudioVision Avid Avid Xpress CamCutter Digidesign FieldPak Film Composer HIIP Image Independence Marquee Media Composer Media Recorder NewsCutter OMF OMF Interchange Open Media Framework Pro Tools and Softimage are registered trademarks and 888 I O AirSPACE AirSPACE HD AniMatte AudioSuite AutoSync AVIDdrive AVIDdrive Towers AvidNet Avid Production Network AvidProNet AvidProNet com AVIDstripe Avid Unity AVX DAE D Fi D fx Digidesign Audio Engine DINR D Verb ExpertRender FilmScribe HyperSPACE HyperSPACE HDCAM Intraframe iS9 iS18 iS23 iS36 Lo Fi Magic Mask make manage move media Matador Maxim MCXpress MEDIArray MediaDock MediaDock Shuttle Media Fusion Media Illusion MediaLog Media Reader MediaShare Meridien NaturalMatch NetReview OMM Open Media Management ProEncode QuietDrive R amp A Recti Fi Review amp Approval rS9 rS18 Sci Fi Sound Designer Il SPACE SPACEShift Symphony Trilligent UnityRAID Vari Fi Video Slave Driver and VideoSPACE are trademarks of Avid Technology Inc ControlAir iNEWS and Media Browse are trademarks of iNews LLC iNEWS ControlAir User Manual Version 1 0 5 Part 0130 05583 01 Rev A November 8 2002 bbl Contents Using This Manu
41. ntrolAir Keyboard An optional piece of equipment that may be included in a ControlAir Workstation may be an alternative keyboard such as the type manufactured by Genovation This keyboard is smaller and eliminates the need for a standard sized keyboard in the production area It is mapped to the keys on the number pad on the standard keyboard Using the ControlAir Workstation Using ControlAir to control a show consists of three primary tasks Reserving a Playlist e Controlling Events Through Devices in a Playlist Releasing a Playlist 43 Chapter 4 ControlAir Workstation Reserving a Playlist After ControlAir Workstation has started and a show is downloaded from INEWS ControlAir displays a list Confirmation of the download is seen in the ControlAir Workstation Message History list as shown in Figure 17 Maro 10 39 01 Control amp in 5 Load Complete SHOWW EPM RUNDOVN Figure 17 Download Confirmation Message Controlling events in the show for playback is not enabled until the playlist is reserved for that show To reserve the playlist for the show do one of the following a Select the show by clicking on the show name such as SHOW 6PM RUNDOWN then press the R key OR b Select Broadcast gt Reserve Playlist To verify confirmation of the playlist reservation Reserved by controlair 2 now appears next to the show name as shown in Figure 14 on page 4 37 After the playlist is reserved double
42. ommands including Play Cue Stop Pause Status Bar allows viewing of the bottom status bar giving the connection status of the ControlAir Workstation to the ControlAir Server Clocks Bar allows viewing of the Elapsed Time Time Left Playlist Devices and Local Time Toolbars Overview Device Bar allows viewing of the Device Status Bar e Clear Error Log clears errors from the Message History list shown in Figure 14 e View Error Log allows viewing of the Message History list The Help menu contains the following selections Help Topic provides access to the ControlAir Workstation online help system e About displays ControlAir Workstation version number of the product The main toolbar as shown in Figure 15 hasa list known as the Message History list that provides a historical list of the past 21 system messages such as initialization and disconnect notices with the most recent appearing on screen It also displays any errors associated with the ControlAir Server AMCP application and ControlAir Workstation The button located to the left of this text box marked X may be used to clear messages Toolbar Message History List Playlist Devices Section File Broadcast View Help gt I x 21 25 55 Friday March 1 Elapsed Time ias oost r Local Time EXE Tine Let Name ce toun s T 21 30 58 Zum o cee Tse J CG2 Ready y louth2 Off Line lt
43. or any damages arising from use or operation of reseller s products or the software or any other damages including but not limited to incidental direct indirect special or consequential Damages including lost profits or damages resulting from loss of use or inability to use reseller s products or the software for any reason including copyright or patent infringement or lost data even if Ray Sauers Associates has been advised knew or should have known of the possibility of such damages The following disclaimer is required by Videomedia Inc Videomedia Inc makes no warranties whatsoever either express or implied regarding this product including warranties with respect to its merchantability or its fitness for any particular purpose This software contains V LAN ver 3 0 Command Protocols which communicate with V LAN ver 3 0 products developed by Videomedia Inc and V LAN ver 3 0 compatible products developed by third parties under license from Videomedia Inc Use of this software will allow frame accurate editing control of applicable videotape recorder decks videodisc recorders players and the like Attn Government User s Restricted Rights Legend U S GOVERNMENT RESTRICTED RIGHTS This Software and its documentation are commercial computer software or commercial computer software documentation In the event that such Software or documentation is acquired by or on behalf of a unit or agency of the U S Governme
44. r exe program or on a separate computer The monitor server is not an actual part of ControlAir software but is a utility program on the INEWS Server For ControlAir it is used to scan stories in the rundown searching for machine control events to build event lists playlists for the production devices It continues monitoring the rundown for changes to machine control events and sends them to the ControlAir system until the show goes off the air System Architecture Figure 1 depicts how connections are made from iNEWS through the AMCP application AMCPapp exe to the ControlAir Server program casvr exe then to the ControlAir Workstation device managers and devices ControlAir ControlAir ControlAir Workstation Workstation Workstation Still Store CG Cart amp other Video Devices f ANCP a Application g ControlAir Device A Server Manager NEWS Application sais newsroom computer system casvr exe Miser ControlAir E Device Workstation Manager AAAA BBBAA AAAA ALS ABABABAdAABSAdDALSS BBB AOOO 4S ES CMS DS ES DS DS ES DS DS DS 0S BB OOAD 4 SS EMEN EN ES EN ES ES EN ES ES EN ES B ABB ES4 5S CES DS DS CS ES ESSE CE BDO EA EA d NI 9 Network 9 Serial Communication between
45. ri inserted in the script text at the cursor position In the example shown in Figure 5 the Story panel is split to show both the Instruction and Story Text panels but not the Story Form panel Each command is preceded by an asterisk and should be written in a special format The format for machine control events following the asterisk starts with a command for the name of device manager the instruction is for such as CG for a character generator or SS for a still store device After the command the format specifies a particular item or template If additional comments or information is required it would follow on succeeding lines in the same Production Cue text box 17 Chapter 2 Machine Control Events A machine control event for a 2 line character generator graphic may look like the one shown in Figure 5 From a high plateau a few miles south c the sooty aftermath of more than a centi size of small mountains For years the rising black hills af culr anthracite ranging in size from golf balls unwelcome reminder ofthe prosperity tl Hazelton Scranton and Wilkes Barre They re not so bad thatthese sites t but they have a tangible impact on the p said Tom Knapp an environmental ecc University s Schuylkill campus Now the culm might be part of the patl depressed part of northeastern Pennsy Local miners and politicians are cautit we eee md Me ed lo s l ee be ed ale dee ee Environmental Economist Figur
46. rrors 32 customer support V1 Index D device managers DMs 5 device status 41 busy 41 in use 41 off line 41 on line 41 53 ready 41 unknown 41 devices status of 41 dialog boxes Connect to Server 36 Monitor Queue 27 Directory panel 16 E errors correcting 32 Event List queues 30 event list status of 44 G graphic user interface 36 iNEWS rundown 22 iNEWS workspace 16 Instruction panel 16 in use device status 41 K keyboard alternative 43 L loading playlists 27 59 machine control event defined 17 machine control protocol See AMCPapp exe message alerts 32 Monitor Load 27 29 monitor modes 8 13 Monitor Off 29 monitor server defined 26 overview 6 using 26 31 Monitor Unload 13 27 29 MOS Gateway Server 28 O off line device status 41 on air changes 47 on line device status 41 53 P panels workspace 16 playlists controlling events 46 loading 27 releasing 47 reserving 44 unloading 13 27 Procedures change font 52 change screen settings 53 machine control event inserting 17 open and save CAW files 50 rearrange event display 58 release playlist 47 reserve playlist 44 using monitor server 27 workstation starting 36 production cues samples 21 60 protocol Louth VDCP 5 See AMCPapp exe Q Queue panel 16 quit time 30 R ready device status 41 S specifications environmental 53 Story Form panel 16 Story panel 16 Story Text panel 16 styles 19
47. ry to bring devices back online so ControlAir can use the devices without having to restart the DMs 48 Chapter 5 ControlAir Configuration amp Customization When the ControlAir Workstation is launched the default CAW file is used which contains the default session settings ControlAir users may personalize their sessions and save them under a different file name for future use In earlier versions of the ControlAir software the tag for these files was bcw not caw so they were known as BCW files Which tag is used depends on which version of software a site has For the purposes of this chapter CAW is used This chapter explains how to configure and customize a ControlAir session This chapter contains the following main sections Opening and Saving User Configured Options Changing Default User Preference Options Chapter 5 ControlAir Configuration amp Customization Opening and Saving User Configured Options To open a CAW file do one of the following a Select File gt Open OR b Press Ctrl O An Open dialog box appears Select a CAW file to work with To save a CAW file do one of the following a Select File gt Save OR b Press Ctrl S This updates the existing file To save a CAW file as a different file do the following 1 Select File gt Save As A Save As dialog box appears 2 In the File Name list box enter a name for the file 3 Click the Save button The file is now saved under
48. s All Broadcast products except News view e 441256 814222 in Europe Africa and Mid East Related Information e 61299632895 in Asia Pacific Or online e e mail support inewsroom com e http www avid com support contact html For general information call your local Avid reseller or in North America call the Avid Broadcast Customer Relations desk at 1 800 869 7009 Related Information Contact your Avid Sales representative for documentation and information on other Avid products such as the iNEWS newsroom computer system Media Browse EditStar LeaderPlus MOS Gateway AirSPACE and so forth If You Have Documentation Comments The Avid Broadcast Technical Publications department continually seeks to improve its documentation We value your comments about this manual or other Avid supplied documentation Send your documentation comments by e mail to techpubs_wi avid com Include the title of the document its part number revision and the specific section that you are commenting on in all correspondence Please include the title of the document its part number revision and the specific section you are commenting on in all correspondence vii Using This Manual How to Order Documentation To order additional copies of this documentation from within the United States call the Avid Sales department at 1 608 274 8686 If you are placing an order from outside the United States contact your lo
49. s is on page 26 Events are loaded from iNEWS to ControlAir and then communicated to appropriate devices After ControlAir receives the entire lists it will notify the user that it has received the list by sending a message to the NEWS Workstation Confirmation messages may look like the following LIST RECEIVED SHOW 5P Rundown SHOW 5P RUNDOWN Download Complete If the monitor server is not on loading events will automatically switch the monitor server on Monitor Off and Unload Monitor Off is used after the show is over Switching the monitor server off stops the system from scanning scripts for updates and sending those updates to ControlAir If ControlAir has already reserved the show the broadcast may continue but no updates from iNEWS will be received If ControlAir has not reserved the show switching the monitor server off removes the playlist from the ControlAir Workstation Monitor Unload clears the ControlAir playlist if ControlAir has not reserved the show but continues to scan the scripts and update the event lists with changes 29 Chapter 3 The Monitor Server Utility Program Quit Time Monitor server uses a large amount of system resources If monitor servers are left on after the end of their shows they could degrade the efficiency of the INEWS system To protect system resources a Quit Time may be set by the system administrator This will automatically switch off the monitor server at the spec
50. stations e Creates and manages playlists and downloads them to their respective devices Tracks which components have playlists and devices reserved e Directs control commands from ControlAir Workstation to the appropriate device manager DM If ControlAir Server program casvr exe fails or is stopped other components such as DMs must also be restarted If the ControlAir Manager program is set up it will monitor the ControlAir Server program and components and restart them should they stop running Each DM will reconnect at start up to the ControlAir Server and to the device s it controls If ControlAir Manager is not used Device Managers System Architecture components of the ControlAir system must be restarted manually Any playlists loaded at the time the ControlAir Server program is stopped should be reloaded after the program is restarted AMCPapp exe The executable program called AMCPapp exe is the interface between Avid s NEWS newsroom computer system and the ControlAir Server running casvr exe It translates Avid Machine Control Protocol AMCP data coming in from INEWS or other newsroom computer system into data that the ControlAir system can manage camgr exe The executable program named camgr exe 1s known as the ControlAir Manager It monitors ControlAir components including device managers on the ControlAir Server If a component stops running the ControlAir Manager will restart it automaticall
51. the new name Changing Default User Preference Options ControlAir has user preferences set by default and also allows users to customize their preferences The following options may be customized e Colors Fonts Screen e Channel Policy e Rescan Device Event Display Columns 50 Changing Default User Preference Options Colors ControlAir allows users to customize the event status text and background colors rather than using the default selections To customize these options do the following 1 Select Broadcast gt Options The Options dialog box appears as shown in Figure 18 A xl Colors Fonts Screen Channel Policy Rescan Device Event Status Available Pl Back Colors For best results use dark text and limit background colors to the top few rows of the color chart Examples UNSELECTED SELECTED OK Cancel Apply Figure 18 Options Dialog Box Colors Tab 2 Select the Event Status to change from the Event Status list 3 Click the Text Colors button to change the color of the text See Table 2 on page 45 for more information 4 Click the Back Colors button to change the color of the background 5 Click OK 6 Select File then do one of the following 51 Chapter 5 ControlAir Configuration amp Customization a Select Save to save the changes to this file OR b Select Save As to save the file with changes using another file name Fonts To c
52. ustomize the text font rather than using the default selections the following 1 Select Broadcast gt Options The Options dialog box appears as shown in Figure 18 on page 5 51 2 Select the Fonts tab as shown in Figure 19 Options LX Colors Fonts Screen Channel Policy Rescan Device Category Cancel Figure 19 Options Dialog Box Fonts Tab 52 On an Arabic enabled NT based system select Arabic fonts and ControlAir Workstation will run in Arabic Screen Changing Default User Preference Options 3 Select the category to change from the category list The categories and their descriptions are shown in Table 4 Table 4 Categories and Descriptions Category Descriptions Events All text in an Event row Stories All text in a Story row Playlists Show name banner at the top Event display 4 Click the Fonts button to change the font of the text 5 Click OK 6 Select File then do one of the following a Select Save to save the changes to this file OR b Select Save As to save the file with changes using another file name To customize the on screen cursor positions relative to the bottom of the screen during the broadcast rather than using the default selections do the following 1 Select Broadcast gt Options The Options dialog box appears as shown in Figure 18 on page 5 51 2 Select the Screen tab as shown in Figure 20 53 Chapter 5 ControlAir Configuration amp Customi
53. ut the INEWS feature called monitor server Procedures include how to turn the monitor server on and off as well as how to instruct it to load or unload machine control event data Using the Monitor Server To use the monitor server log in to an INEWS Workstation and do the following 1 Open the appropriate rundown queue 2 Click Tools gt Monitor For more information The Monitor Queue dialog box appears The Quit Time or automatic on Quit Time see Quit shut off time appears at the bottom of the dialog box Time on page 30 Monitor Status ON OFF Must select one or more devices for Load or Unload Device Status casvr NOT LOADED cq NOT LOADED mosgwy NOT LOADED Unload L Ba d ff Cancel iE All Devices Quit Time 14 30 Figure9 Monitor Queue Dialog Box 3 Select a monitor mode based on the following options On Turns the monitor server on and creates an event list for each device in the rundown queue Load nstructs the monitor server to load event lists to devices you select See Monitor LOAD on page 29 for more information Unload Disconnects from the selected device or server without turning the monitor server off If all devices servers are unloaded the monitor server returns to the On mode See Monitor Off and Unload on page 29 for more information 27 Chapter 3 The Monitor Server Utility Program Off Turns the monitor server off overriding the Quit
54. wards the data to the ControlAir Workstation and NEWS monitor server via AMCPApp exe Error messages are returned to the INEWS user who loaded the rundown and the ControlAir operator The monitor server also displays status for video clips such as whether the clip is available into stories in the rundown and event lists located in the NEWS database The ControlAir operator may now take control of the playback devices and take the show to air Figure 3 shows communication paths after the monitor server is instructed to load playlists commands status and user messages between ControlAir components note the direction of flow for the four different kinds of data 11 Chapter 1 The iNEWS ControlAir System Overview 12 AMCPapp Protocol converter Maintains link to each loaded monitor server A Playlist Event Updates Messages progress errors warnings Event Status Messages iNEWS Monitor H Monitor Commands ON LOAD UNLOAD OFF iNEWS ON Watch for added Workstations deleted or Modified Machine Control Events LOAD Send playlists and updates to ControlAlr 1 Servers Messages progress errors warnings MCSDM client MCS PC Rundown amp Event List queues System Map amp Resource queues NEWS
55. wing order cart 23456 ss 1001 cg Amy Anchor cg Downtown Boston If you want the tape number in the Video ID field for status feedback purposes the still store graphic and CG event containing the presenter s name could be in a separate script such as a Lead In or Intro Then the tape number is placed in the Video ID field with the next CG inside the story In this case the ControlAir Workstation and composite list would show the following order ss 1001 cg Amy Anchor cart 23456 cg Downtown Boston 21 Chapter 2 Machine Control Events 22 s Time Script Total Backtime Start Time 0 00 O00 0 00 17 00 00 Intro 0 00 0 03 0 03 17 00 00 TITLES TITLES 010 018 0 28 17 00 03 Interview dhiran001 000 0 01 001 17 00 31 Promo 3 030 007 10 37 17 00 32 Ev Status Time Script Backtime Start Time o Intro E T7 Im IC coe 120000 Mod by jason Ed ty Room WR Aired CG 2line NANCY GOYER Hello good evening and welcome to News at Ten o o Avid Newsroom Systems S8 logo right Figure7 iNEWS Rundown The control room staff can quickly see from the rundown which items still require a Video ID while the show is being prepared When the Video ID is entered the entire line changes color When using more than one video channel during the broadcast there are a number of ways to assign the playout channel for each item Playout channels may be assigned by the device its
56. y ControlAir Manager can also monitor third party device managers A device manager DM is an executable program that connects directly or via the network to casvr exe When the connection is made to casvr exe the DM will accept playlists from iNEWS and commands from ControlAir Workstation Although DMs can run on other computers Avid recommends they be installed on the ControlAir Server the same computer running the casvr exe program Each DM is designed to control a specific machine For instance LouthDM exe is a DM designed to control any video server that correctly supports the Louth video device control protocol VDCP such as Avid s AirSPACE series of video servers There are existing DMs that allow the ControlAir operator to control the following machine types used for broadcast production e Character Generator CG Chapter 1 The iNEWS ControlAir System Overview e Still stores Video playback devices ControlAir Workstation See Chapter 4 for more information Monitor Server See Chapter 3 for more information The ControlAir Workstation provides the operator with a Graphical User Interface GUI that allows control of broadcast events From the ControlAir Workstation the ControlAir operator can view playlists that have been downloaded from iNEWS get device and event status and control the broadcast production devices The ControlAir Workstation software can run on the same computer as the casv
57. zation Options LX Colors Fonts Screen Channel Policy Rescan Device Enter display scroll position in 50 E percentage 50 2 Cancel Figure 20 Options Dialog Box Screen Tab 3 Enter a percentage number in the enter display scroll position in percentage text box 4 Click OK 5 Select File do one of the following a Select Save to save the changes to this file OR b Select Save As to save the file with changes using another file name Channel Policy The Channel Policy tab allows definition of assignment and override methods for the video events in a playlist 54 Changing Default User Preference Options The CAWS Assignment Method is either Single Channel or Rolling that is alternating channels for instance A B A B depending upon the number of channels available The Override Method may be either Strong or Weak This is only relevant for a Rolling CAWS Assignment Method Strong means ControlAir will automatically reassign channels to maintain the Rolling A B A B CAWS Assignment Method Weak means that ControlAir will not re assign the channels when a new video event is inserted into the rundown To define CAWS Assignment and override Methods do the following 1 Select Broadcast gt Options The Options dialog box appears as shown in Figure 18 2 Select the Channel Policy tab as shown in Figure 21 Options LX Colors Fonts Screen Channel Policy Rescan Device
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